Manufacture of detonating compositions



UNITED ST OFFICE.

HANS RATHSBURG, OF FURTH, GERMANY.

MANUFACTURE OF DETONATI'NG- COMPOSITIONS.

No Drawing.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HANS R-ATHsBURG, citizen of the Republic of Germany, residing at Furth, Bavaria, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Detonating Compositions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of detonating-compositions.

It is known that tetrazole and its derivatives, for instance, tetrazylazoimid, diazotetrazole, azotetrazole, o-x'yazotetrazole, diazoaminotetrazole, bistetrazole, dioxytetrazole and their substitution products form salts of a more or less: explosive nature.

It has now been ascertained that tetrazole and the above enumerated derivatives form partial, simple or multiple basic salts. It was also found that the basic salts of tetrazole can also crystallize together with varying quantities of metal hydroxides. These salts differ in the behaviour in so far from the neutral salts, that they are less sensitive to blows, contain less energy and possess less bursting force. Such basic salts of tetrazole and its derivatives have not been known hitherto. It was further ascertained that these basic salts are able to form amongst themselves and with neutral and basic salts of nitro-bodies or other explosive bodies mixed crystals containing two or more constituents.

As far as the behaviour of the basic salts is concerned the comparison of the differences between neutral and basic heavy metal azides, as described with reference to bursting power by L. lVohler in the Zeitsohrift fur Angewandte Chemie, 1911, page 2096, is applicable.

Such mixed crystals of basic salts of tetra- Zole and its derivatives have also been unknown heretofore and form uniform crystalline bodies with entirely new properties, as they are partly evolved by addition from the combination of the basic salts of tetrazole or its derivatives with nitro-bodies or other explosive substances.

In accordance with the quality and quantity of the raw materials and the variations in the process employed detonating-compositions of uniform quality for a wide range of application may be manufactured, which Application filed August 3, 1922. Serial No. 579,456.

possess greater bursting power and less sensitiveness to blows for use as charges in blasting cartridges and similar initial detonators, as well as for detonating fuses with loose textile braiding and such of greater sensitiveness to blows and less penetrating force for percussioircaps for hand fire-arms and ordnance-ammunition, for Flobert rifles and similar small-arms-ammunition.

The production of the basic! salts is effected by the application of alkalis, for instance sodium hydroxide, in the precipitation of tetrazole compounds with salt solutions, especially heavy metal salt solutions.

The mixed crystals or double salts are formed during the gradual combination of the solutions of the raw materials: mentioned. If it is intended to produce, for instance, a mixed salt from basic lead azotetrazol and basic lead piorate a solution containing a molecule of sodium azotetrazole for each molecule of sodium hydroxide, is combined with a solution of sodium picrate having a molecule 'of this salt, for each molecule of sodium hydroxide. This mixture of solutions is allowed to flow into a hot solution of lead acetate or lead nitrate. The mixed salt is then precipitated in finely crystalline form. By changing the temperature of precipitation, the concentration of the solution, the speed with which the mixture is stirred and so on, the size of the individual crystals is altered and it is thus possible to alter the size of the grain of the detonating-composition. The salt-forming nitro bodies most suitable for the purpose are nitrated phenols and aminophenols, such as diand tri-nitrophenol, diand tri-nitroresorcin, trinitrocresol, trinitroaminophenol and so on, of nitrated amines, the tetraand hexanitrodiphenyl amines, and other salt-forming nitrobodies, as: for instance 1n-dinitro-dinitrosobenzol.

The uniform detonation-compositions thus produced are not hygroscopic and may therefore be stored for a long time, even in contact with metals like copper, brass, iron, zinc, aluminium and their alloys. By additions of silicide of calcium or easily combustible metals, as aluminium and magnesium the temperature of the flame may be raised in the well-known manner.

Combined with phlegmatizing agents these detonation-compositions may also be used for the manufacture of 'detonating fuses, in the same manner as mercury fulminate.

In the manufacture of detonation-compositions for blasting cartridges, priming caps, Flobert ammunition, liquid air, cartridges and other initial detonators, detonating fuses and so on, the basic salts and mixtures of salts, which may be of a partly basic, entirely basic, or multiple basic nature may be employed either by themselves, in mixtures with each other or with already known detonationcompositions and detonation-composition constituents, as charge in all the usual charging processes. These salts are produced when solutions of easily soluble salts of tetrazole or its derivatives, in the presence of alkalis alone, or together with solutions of salts of nitro-bodies with or without alkalies, or of other explosive bodies, are allowed to flow into solutions of metals.

Merely by way of example the formula for one of the basic salts which can be used, i. e., of the basic lead salt of azo-tetrazol, follows:

N-N NN g c N=N-c PbO.

It will be understood that I do not limit myself toany particular basic salt of tetrazole or to any particular proportions.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

1. A priming composition for detonators, comprising basic salts of tetrazole compounds.

2. A priming composition for detonators, comprising, basic lead salts of tetrazol compounds.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name.

HANS RATHSBURG. 

